Lose weight and shift those lockdown pounds by spring with these healthy and hearty recipes

GET a spring in your step with these healthy and hearty WW – Weight Watchers Reimagined – recipes, perfect for the seasonal change.

Now is a great time to get in shape with the help of WW, which all Sun readers can get FREE for an entire month.

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Enjoy these delicious recipes that will help you shed those lockdown pounds for spring ( WW recommends a steady weight loss of up to 2lb each week).

Chicken schnitzels with lemon & parsley potatoes

Serves 4 - Prep 20 mins - Cook 25 mins

YOU NEED:

• 700g new potatoes, quartered
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 90g panko breadcrumbs
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve
• 4 x 165g skinless chicken breast fillets
• Calorie-controlled cooking spray
• 3 tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus extra leaves to serve
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard

METHOD:

1. Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 20 minutes or until tender, then drain.
2. Line a baking tray with baking paper and place a wire rack on top. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into 3 separate shallow bowls and mix the lemon zest into the breadcrumbs. Put the chicken fillets between two pieces of non-stick baking paper and bash with a rolling pin until the chicken is about 1cm thick.
3. Dip each of the chicken fillets in the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Mist a large pan with cooking spray and cook for 1 minute on each side until golden, then transfer to the wire rack on the baking tray and cook in the oven for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small jug, mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley and mustard, and toss with the drained potatoes. Serve the potatoes alongside the schnitzel with the lemon wedges, and the extra parsley scattered over.

Eggs royale

Serves 4 - Prep 10 mins - Cook 20 mins

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YOU NEED:

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 4 eggs
• 2 wholemeal English muffins, halved
• 100g smoked salmon
• 3 tbsp fresh chives, snipped
• For the hollandaise sauce:
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 175g 0% fat natural Greek yoghurt
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard

METHOD:

1. Put the egg yolks, lemon juice, yoghurt and mustard in a bowl. Bring a small pan of water to a simmer. Set the bowl over the pan and whisk until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
2. Bring a deep pan of water to a boil and add the vinegar. Break 1 egg into a ramekin. Swirl the water with a spoon to create a whirlpool and slide in the egg. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat with 3 more eggs.
3. While the eggs cook, toast the English muffins. Spread a little of the sauce over each muffin half and divide the salmon between them, then top each with a poached egg. Stir 2 tbsp chives through the remaining sauce, then spoon over the eggs. Sprinkle over the remaining chives to serve.

Pesto fish parcels

Serves 4 - Prep 15 mins - Cook 25 mins

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YOU NEED:

• 2 tbsp reduced-fat green pesto
• 4 x 120g skinless, boneless cod fillets
• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 courgettes, cut into 5mm slices
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 3cm chunks
• Small handful fresh basil leaves, to serve
• Lemon wedges, to serve

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/ 170C fan/gas mark 5. Spread the pesto over the fish and season to taste. Put a 40cm x 30cm rectangle of kitchen foil on the work surface and top with an equal-sized rectangle of baking paper.
2. Pile a quarter of all the vegetables on the paper, leaving a 3cm border at the edges, season to taste, then top with a piece of fish. Bring the paper up and over the fish and vegetables and scrunch the sides together to seal.
3. Put the parcel on a baking tray, then repeat with the remaining veg and fish to make 3 more parcels. Bake for 25 minutes, then transfer the parcels to plates. Open them up and scatter over the fresh basil and some freshly ground black pepper. Serve with the lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over.

Primavera risotto

Serves 4 - Prep 25 mins - Cook 45 mins

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YOU NEED:

200g frozen broad beans
Calorie-controlled cooking spray
3 shallots, finely chopped
300g Arborio rice
80ml white wine
1.4 litres hot vegetable stock, made with 2 stock cubes
250g asparagus, roughly chopped
30g reduced-fat green pesto
80g vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, finely grated
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

METHOD:

1. Cook the beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, until just tender. Drain, refresh in cold water and drain again. Remove and discard the skins from the beans, then set aside. Mist a large non-stick pan with cooking spray and put on a medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 5-6 minutes until soft, then stir in the rice and cook for 2 mins.
2. Add wine and simmer for 1 min, then pour in a ladle of the stock. Cook, stirring constantly, until the stock is almost totally absorbed by the rice. Repeat until all stock has been used, adding the asparagus and broad beans with the final ladleful. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the asparagus is al dente. This should all take about 30 mins.
3. Season well, then stir in the pesto, most of the grated cheese, half the lemon zest and the chopped basil. Serve with the remaining cheese and zest scattered over, with the lemon wedges on the side.

Chinese vegetable stir-fry

Serves 4 - Prep 20 mins - Cook 10 mins

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YOU NEED:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lime, plus wedges to serve
• 3cm piece ginger, peeled, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped, plus extra sliced chilli to serve
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 2 pak choi, chopped
• 100g baby corn, halved lengthways
• 100g mangetout
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 400g cooked egg noodles
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander, plus leaves, to serve

METHOD:

1. Combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, half the lime juice, the ginger, garlic and chilli in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan over a medium heat, then add the vegetables and stir-fry for 5 minutes until just tender. Add the sauce mixture and toss to combine.
3. Make a well in the centre of the vegetable mixture using a spatula. Pour in the eggs, cook for 2 minutes or until set, then roughly break up and stir through the stir-fry.
4. Add the noodles and stir through the veg with the remaining lime juice, the lime zest and coriander. Scatter with chilli slices and extra fresh coriander leaves, then serve with the lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.

Green bean, pasta, ham & egg salad

Serves 4 - Prep 10 mins - Cook 15 mins

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YOU NEED:

• 200g small pasta shells
• 150g frozen peas
• 150g green beans
• 4 eggs
• 1½ tbsp snipped fresh chives, plus extra to serve
• ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
• 100g ham, roughly chopped

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METHOD:

1. Cook the pasta to pack instructions, adding the peas and beans for the final 4 minutes of cooking time. Drain, then transfer the pasta and vegetables to a large serving bowl.
2. Meanwhile, cook the eggs in a large pan of boiling water for 8 minutes, then drain and fill the pan with cold water. Allow the eggs to cool in the water for 5 minutes, then peel and cut into quarters. Set aside.
3. Combine the chives, olive oil, mustard and lemon zest and juice in a small jug, then drizzle over the pasta mixture and toss to combine.
4. Toss the ham through the pasta salad, then top with the eggs and the extra snipped fresh chives to serve.

Get one month’s WW membership FREE

JANUARY is when we are geared up to shed those Christmas pounds – but this year we have the double whammy of lockdown weight to shift as well.

Now readers can sign up to WW and get one month’s membership free, choosing from Digital, Unlimited Workshops + Digital or Digital 360. This exclusive offer is available to all Sun readers from now until March 13, 2021. Try WW and get your first month on us.

• To get your new healthy lifestyle off to a great start this spring and make 2021 your best year yet, or use your smartphone to scan the QR code, above.

Just sign up to WW during the promotional period and you’ll get your first month’s membership free.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

1. Full terms of the subscription plans must be completed and other than in accordance with your statutory withdrawal rights you will not be entitled to a refund in the event that you cancel your subscription prior to the end of your subscription plan.
2. Offer open to mainland UK residents only who are aged 18 years and over.
3. One claim per person and is non-transferable. The offer cannot be combined with other offers.
4. WW reserve the right to change, amend or cancel this offer at any time.
5. Your credit or debit card will automatically be charged up to one day prior to the start of each subsequent month of your subscription.
6. Activation needs to be completed on the WW website.
7. Subscriptions will automatically renew at the end of the plan at the standard monthly rate (currently £14.95 for Digital, £21.95 for Digital 360 and £22.95 for Unlimited ­Workshops and Digital) until you cancel.

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